The Seer of Erebor
by ThorynLeigh
Summary: This follows the movieverse (mostly). Events are seen through the eyes of my OC. There are hints of Bagginshield, Thorinduil and Fili/OC. Thana Futaris is a Seer of the Future. She joins Thorin's company, willing to give her best shot at helping in any way she can, even when her own future is uncertain at best.


A/N- So, this story will more closely follow the movies. It will follow the events of the big screen, only seen through the eyes of my OC. There will be mentions of Bagginshield, Thorinduil, and hints of Fili/OC. Chapters may also be edited and changed from time to time, until I am satisfied with them. This is very much a fic in progress, and if you have any ideas/suggestions, pm me. I love constructive criticism, it can make things much better. And of course, no A/N would be complete without the ever present, 'Please read & review'!

_Bree, on the borders of the Shire_

Thana flipped the hood of her blue cloak back and shifted her small basket from one hand to another as she smiled briefly at the gatekeeper, hurriedly slipping past him and apologizing for keeping him from locking the gates as the sun slipped below the horizon. The gatekeeper simply smiled and shook his head. It was no problem, he said, for such a beautiful woman. Thana grinned back and nodded her thanks.

Walking away from the gates, she wove her way through the small knots of people who stood talking to neighbors and friends, and past those who were on their way to their own homes. Some paused in their conversations or slowed for a moment, calling out greetings to her, which she cheerfully returned. As Bree's best kept secret, people considered her somewhat of a town possession. But she didn't mind- she did belong to Bree, in a way, and so to every man, woman and child who called the town home.

She turned this way and that down the narrow alleyways between houses and finally reached her own small cottage. It wasn't much, just a tall, narrow house, but it stood apart from the houses that surrounded it, affording it a small garden both in the front and back. It was simple, but it was home. Thana opened the door, entered and shut it behind her. Then she removed her cloak and hung it on a star shaped hook just to the right of the door. Her basket she placed on the small table on the left hand side of the room, then crossed the room to the fireplace, where she lit a small fire. It was a little warm for it yet, but she knew she would be grateful for it later, when the rain started to fall. Lastly, she climbed the tiny staircase to her loft room, where she exchanged her simple brown cotton dress for the nicest one she owned- a deep midnight blue, with belled sleeves and tiny gold threads woven throughout. It made her eyes turn storm grey, and her auburn hair glow like firelight.

Satisfied that she had done all she could do for the moment, she went back downstairs, and tried to decide what to do to keep her hands busy, and her mind distracted. Rummaging through the basket, she decided to wait on starting her supper. It would be a simple fare of wild root stew, of which she had gathered more than enough for just herself before she'd returned to the safety of Bree. She pushed the basket to the other side of the table, then fetched a small black bag off the fireplace mantle. She was too restless to simply sit, so she removed a small deck of cards from the bag and began shuffling them. They were soft and smooth, having been polished by generations of hands before they had come to her. She could remember her mother showing them to her, teaching her the meaning of each card, a knowledge passed from mother to daughter since time immemorial. When it felt right, she spread them out in an arc on the table's scarred surface, and randomly drew three. Gathering the remainder up, she placed them aside, then took a deep breath before flipping the three she had drawn face up. She studied the pictures on each. The wanderer. The knight. The dragon. Sighing, she nodded, then shuffled them back into the deck. Then she shuffled them again, wondering if they would tell her more.

A couple of hours went by, and Thana's restlessness rose to a fever pitch. She itched to be moving, to be doing something to meet her destiny head on, but she knew that patience was going to better serve her, so she lit a taper candle and continued to shuffle and draw cards.

The knight. The wanderer, the dragon.

Finally she put the cards away in their bag, then back on the mantle, just as the rain she'd been waiting for began to fall. She breathed a small sigh, almost of relief. It couldn't be long now. She grabbed her chair from the table and carried it by the front door, which she then opened. She breathed deep of the cool night air, then sat down, forcing herself to remain still and listen.

She felt like she was dozing when she finally heard the sound of footsteps in the mud outside. There was a hitch in her breath, and she strained her ears to hear as they came closer. Gathering her suddenly depleted courage, she waited until the footsteps drew even with her door, then called out in a voice that revealed nothing of her inner turmoil.

"Come in out of the rain, Son of Durin."

The footsteps halted suddenly, and Thana wondered if she'd made a mistake. She knew who stood out in the rain, knew that he could see her clearly against the light behind her. But would he answer? Would he take her up on her offer? Suddenly she found it hard to breathe over the panic that he would just walk away…

She smiled in relief when his form darkened her doorway. She rose, bowing slightly at the waist.

"Please, come inside." He did so, closing the door behind him. She held out one hand, and he unclasped his cloak, which he handed to her. She shivered a little as she passed by him to hang it next to her own. Then she turned back to him.

He was dark, which she'd been sure he would be. He radiated strength and wariness, and she couldn't help but tremble a bit under his scrutinizing gaze. His stance, his whole demeanor, screamed royalty. Thana was suddenly unsure of herself, of the whole situation. Who was she to even speak to this dwarven prince, a lowly commoner? Then he raised a brow, a questioning look, and the doubts fell away. She smiled.

"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain."

He nodded, then asked, "And who are you, pray tell?"

His voice was deep, like a river at night, with an undercurrent Thana realized it would be all too easy to fall in to. She would have to watch her step around him.

"My name is Thana Futaris."

Hie eyes widened slightly, even as he scoffed.

"Furtaris? A Seer, then."

She nodded, still smiling slightly.

"Yes. Do you doubt me, Thorin?"

The seemingly careless use of his name had him studying her harder. He didn't mince words when he answered.

"Yes. I have seen far to many charlatans to be sure of such a power as the Sight. Not to mention that the future is a fickle thing, and too many things are seen too late, or not at all."

There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, and she nodded.

"I agree. The future is a difficult thing to read, and it changes with every second. I understand."

She turned away from him for a moment, and suddenly her thoughts scattered like fall leaves in a harsh wind. She sucked in a breath, and was vaguely aware that Thorin had stepped closer to her, mildly alarmed by her sudden gasp. Then the room faded slowly around the edges and she Saw.

She recognized the common room of the Prancing Pony, and most of the people currently filling the room. On the surface, it seemed like nothing was amiss, but Thana knew better. She dove deeper into the Seeing, and took note of three people in particular. Two bothered her, but the third simply looked up from his meal and smiled. Thana knew that he was aware of her presence, and he spoke quickly to her, his mind connected to hers for just a moment.

Then it was over. The room of her cottage came back into clear, sharp focus. She blinked rapidly a few times, then became aware that Thorin was standing in front of her, his hands wrapped around her wrists, as if she had been about to fall backwards and he had caught her. A feeling as wild as a hurricane burst inside her as his fingers tightened slightly, and she was suddenly on fire where his skin touched her own. She drew in a shuddering breath, and his eyes locked with hers. Deep in his dark orbs, she could see that the contact was affecting him as well. Then the moment was gone as he released her.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded, touched by the concern.

"Yes. It was just a Seeing."

"You looked like you were about to faint."

"Yes. Thank you for your help. There are times when a Seeing can be particularly strong, and I have fainted. So you have saved me from another hard meeting between the floor and my face."

Thorin snorted, an almost-laugh, and Thana grinned at him. Then she remembered. She retrieved his cloak and her own, and was mildly surprised when he took it without argument.

"Where are we going?"

She hurriedly doused the fire before answering.

"We have someone waiting for us at the inn of the Prancing Pony, and I would not want to keep him waiting."

He raised a brow at her as she opened the door, looking back at him over her shoulder.

"You had better prepare yourself, my King. Your greatest journey is about to begin."

With that, she plunged out into the rain, trusting him to follow her, as she soon would him.


End file.
